What happened in Phoenix didn’t stay in Phoenix. Founders and CEOs attending last year’s Inc. 5000 Conference left the Sonoran Desert resort hotel with new connections, lessons learned, and even business deals in motion.
Here is their 3 Tips In How Deals Get Done and best advice on linking up with potential collaborators, shaking hands with the right partners, pitching the right investors, finalizing deals, and finding answers to burning questions:
1. Share stories and make connections
Sometimes, the best connections are happenstance. You’re in the elevator with a future client; the CEO of a would-be acquisition target is waiting at the bar just ahead of you. Most of the time, however, founders–and their teams–who are the most prepared for serendipity will succeed.
2. Lay the groundwork for future opportunities
Some connections can spark business deals, but others can help forge valuable connections that could come in handy down the line. Walters, in addition to his work with Studio503, is launching a pet brand called Peteava. While the company is in its early stages, Walters presented his pitch to companies at the conference in hopes of finding potential partners and investors.
3. Listen and learn invaluable business advice
With eyes and ears open, founders can take away crucial advice for their business at the conference–and implement it. This happened to Joe Johnson, 30, CEO and founder of the Michigan-based supplement company and first-time honoree Vade Nutrition. His epiphany of him came after attending a conference session led by Elizabeth Cutler, former co-CEO of SoulCycle. During the session, attendees participated in an active listening exercise that involved finding someone they didn’t know and truly listening to them.
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